This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-48053363
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Scottish independence: UK government 'will not grant indyref2 consent' | Scottish independence: UK government 'will not grant indyref2 consent' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Theresa May's deputy has said the Scottish Parliament will not be given the power to hold an independence referendum by 2021. | |
| Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said there was "no evidence" of a surge in support for another vote. | |
| And he said the referendum in 2014 had settled matters for a generation. | |
| Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday she wants a referendum before the next Scottish Parliament election in 2021 if the UK leaves the EU. | Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday she wants a referendum before the next Scottish Parliament election in 2021 if the UK leaves the EU. |
| But she indicated that Westminster's approval was needed to put the legal status of any vote "beyond doubt". | But she indicated that Westminster's approval was needed to put the legal status of any vote "beyond doubt". |
| Downing Street has repeatedly said its position has not changed, and it does not believe a second referendum should be held. | |
| When asked by BBC Scotland whether this meant the UK government was ruling out granting a Section 30 order - which formed the legal basis for the last referendum - before 2021, Mr Lidington replied: "Yes. We don't see the case for that. | |
| "This was supposed to be settled for a generation in 2014 and we should stick to that." | |
| He added that there was "no evidence since then that the appetite of the Scottish people to go through a referendum once again has surged up". | |
| And he said: "What I pick up whenever I come to Scotland is people saying we want our schools to improve, we want the problems in the hospitals sorted out, we want more jobs, higher living standards and start to get more business investment. | |
| "The UK government wants to work with the Scottish government on those things". | |
| Mr Lidington was in Glasgow for a major cybersecurity conference. | |
| The first minister has not yet made a fresh request for the UK government to grant a Section 30 order. | |
| But she hopes a "framework Bill" - Scottish Parliament legislation setting the rules for any future referendum - will be in place by the end of this year. | But she hopes a "framework Bill" - Scottish Parliament legislation setting the rules for any future referendum - will be in place by the end of this year. |
| In her long-awaited statement to MSPs on Wednesday afternoon, she said: "We do not need a transfer of power such as a Section 30 order to pass such a framework Bill, though we would need it to put beyond doubt or challenge our ability to apply the bill to an independence referendum." | |
| The first minister also predicted: "If we are successful in further growing the support and the demand for independence, then no UK government will be able to stop the will of the people or stop that will being expressed." | The first minister also predicted: "If we are successful in further growing the support and the demand for independence, then no UK government will be able to stop the will of the people or stop that will being expressed." |
| Scotland rejected independence by 55% to 45% in the 2014 referendum - with opinion polls suggesting support for independence remains largely unchanged five years later. | |
| Ms Sturgeon initially called for a second referendum after the Brexit vote in 2016, but put her plans on hold after the SNP lost 21 seats in the general election the following year. |